Hotel boss quits over CV lies

One of the most senior and highly regarded executives at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has been forced to resign in disgrace after it emerged that he lied about his academic qualifications.

Patrick Imbardelli, chief executive of the British giant's key Asia Pacific arm, has quit just days before he was to join the main board of the world's biggest hotel company.

When Imbardelli was screened for the job, it emerged that did not hold a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of Victoria in Australia, nor an MA from Cornell University in the US.

He did attend classes at both places in the 1980s, said a spokesman. The revelation represents a huge fall from grace for a man who was named Hotelier of the Year just last month.

IHG chief executive Andy Cosslett lavished praise on Imbardelli after the award, saying: 'This is a great accolade which is richly deserved by Patrick, who has been a driving force in growing the IHG portfolio.'

The 46-year-old, an Australian, who is married with two children, oversaw nearly 200 hotels.

His deception was unnoticed as he went through a series of major jobs at the British-based company in the past seven years. He had previously held management roles at the Hilton, Hyatt and Southern Pacific corporation.

Insiders seem genuinely upset by the revelations. A colleague who worked closely with him in Asia said: 'He is just a really great guy. We're all sad and absolutely shocked.

'Obviously, it has come out of the blue, but the precedent for this kind of thing is totally clear cut - he knew he had to resign immediately.'

Imbardelli is well-liked in the industry and a frequent speaker at conferences - many of his remarks will now be read in a different light.

He told Hotel magazine recently: 'IHG is a FTSE 100 company with 3300 hotels worldwide and I'm not going to jeopardise our reputation.'

Talking about his relationship with managers of individual Holiday Inns, he said: 'You must have the gumption and strength to say you are not about the short-term dollar, but long-term reputation.'

Because he was not yet a board member, his pay has never been disclosed, but seems sure to have topped £250,000. He lived in a luxury house in Singapore where he oversaw one of IHG's most successful divisions.